In accordance with the prevailing conceptions in the U.S., there is no infringement on democracy if a few corporations control the information system: in fact, that is the essence of democracy. In the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the leading figure of the public relations industry, Edward Bernays, explains that “the very essence of the democratic process” is “the freedom to persuade and suggest, ” what he calls “the engineering of consent.” “A leader, ” he continues, “frequently cannot wait for the people to arrive at even general understanding … Democratic leaders must play their part in … engineering … consent to socially constructive goals and values, ” applying “scientific principles and tried practices to the task of getting people to support ideas and programs”; and although it remains unsaid, it is evident enough that those who control resources will be in a position to judge what is “socially constructive, ” to engineer consent through the media, and to implement policy through the mechanisms of the state. If the freedom to persuade happens to be concentrated in a few hands, we must recognize that such is the nature of a free society. Noam Chomsky
About This Quote

If the freedom to persuade happens to be concentrated in a few hands, we must recognize that such is the nature of a free society. Some believe that the idea behind this quote is to state that the only problem with having corporations control information is if they are doing so in a democratic society. This is not the case. The truth is, corporations control information whether or not it is “democratic”.

The main reason for this is because corporations are people too! What makes us different from each other? Not our differences, but our similarities. Many people have the same goals and desires for their lives. Therefore, it’s very important that people are able to express their wants and needs through organizations like corporations.

Source: Necessary Illusions: Thought Control In Democratic Societies

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